"The building blocks of protein" and "your body cannot distinguish between the amino acids in aspartame and milk" (Deskins G1) are common phrases used to describe the ingredients in aspartame. These analogies are used to convince the public that aspartame is as safe as milk, or other protein foods. According to Dr. H. J. Roberts, who was listed in "The Best Doctors in the U.S.," it is true that aspartame is composed of the same amino acids that can be found in protein foods. However, there are only two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid, that are in aspartame while protein foods contain many different amino acids. When aspartame is ingested, it floods the bloodstream with these two amino acids while protein foods, on the other hand, have other amino acids which "neutralize" and eliminate this sudden flooding (30). Like taking words out of context, taking amino acids out of their natural form might cause problems. A closer look at aspartame's ingredients and the adverse reactions reported by thousands of people reveal the dangers of this artificial sweetener.

Dr. Roberts states in his book, Aspartame Is it Safe?, that aspartame's three components are phenylalanine (50 percent), aspartic acid (40 percent), and methanol (10 percent). When aspartame is exposed to heat or prolonged storage, it breaks down into metabolites. One of these breakdown products is Diketopiperazine, a toxic metabolite that is not usually found in our diet. The effects of these different metabolites are unknown (27, 38-40).

According to an article in Consumer Reports, food and beverages containing phenylalanine, the major ingredient in aspartame, must be labeled due to the genetic disorder, phenylketonuria (PKU). The U.S. carries a warning on all aspartame products to alert people with PKU (58). People with this genetic disorder lack the enzyme needed to metabolize phenylalanine and therefore it "accumulates" in the body and can "cause severe mental retardation" (Roberts 33). According to Steven Farber, Ph.D. candidate in brain and cognitive sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, there are an "estimated 10 million people who are carriers and may not know it." He states that these PKU carriers are also at risk because "they cannot degrade phenylalanine as effectively as normal individuals and may be sensitive to increased levels in their diets" (48).

Phenylketonurics and PKU carriers are not the only people that should avoid phenylalanine. Dr. Louis J. Elsas, II, Director of Medical Genetics at Emory University School of Medicine, "recommends that pregnant women avoid aspartame sweeteners" because it is unknown what quantity is considered safe (qtd. In Assc. Of Birth Defect Children 2). Dr. Roberts also suggests to avoid aspartame products during pregnancy due to increased levels of phenylalanine on the "fetal side of the placenta." Increases levels of phenylalanine may "interfere with the growth of the fetus brain" (181).

In an article published in the Association of Birth Defect Children, Karen Mills argues that aspartame may be responsible for her son's health problems. Unaware of the dangers of aspartame, she consumed four to six diet sodas a day and also took phenylalanine capsules to relieve fatigue during her pregnancy. She was in good health and did not smoke or drink during this time. Her pregnancy was considered normal and prenatal testing ruled out any genetic birth defects. Her delivery was also normal. When her son Brandon was born, he was severely retarded with serious neurological problems. All of his x-rays, genetic studies, and blood tests came back normal. Karen states, "I am suspicious that NutraSweet™ could be a contributing factor in Brandon's situation since there are no physical or genetic causes revealed for his neurological problems" (2).

Aspartic acid (aspartame) and glutamate (ingredient in monosodium glutamate) have been labeled as excitotoxins, which Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, defines as "a group of excitatory amino acids that can cause sensitive neurons to die" (226). An article in the Orlando Sentinel Tribune states, "according to Blaylock, a single meal may contain several of these additives . . . given a high enough dose can include brain lesions." Blaylock is concerned that "hundreds of millions of infants and young children are at great risk and their parents are not even aware of it" (qtd. In Bonvie and Bonvie G1).

The last component of aspartame is methanol, better known as wood alcohol, a "deadly poison," claims Dr. Roberts. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends less than eight milligrams per day of methanol. A typical liter of an aspartame diet soda contains approximately 55 milligrams. Complications of methanol poisoning include blindness, brain swelling, pancreatitis, numbness, shooting pains, cardiac changes, and death (28, 42-45). According to Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, when ingested, methanol breaks down into formaldehyde, "known to cause cancer, accumulating slowly without detection in the body" (The Deadly Deception 2).

Eric Soto was a victim of methanol poisoning. In 1989, when Eric was diagnosed with diabetes, he started consuming aspartame products to avoid sugar. Soon after, Eric complained of numbness in his fingers. After seeing a doctor for this problem, it was suggested that he have surgery to correct a wrist nerve. Before he went in for surgery, a black spot appeared over his left eye. After being examined by an opthamologist, Eric was admitted to the hospital for possible methanol poisoning. He decided to stop using aspartame products after hearing about the dangers from a friend. The damage to Eric's eyes was permanent, but the numbness in his fingers stopped even though doctors said it could only be corrected by surgery (The Deadly Deception B4).

Eric Soto is not the only person to suffer from aspartame related health problems. Mary Stoddard, president of Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, claims that nearly 10,000 complaints have been reported to this non-profit organization.

REFERENCES

[1] According to Alex Constantine in his essay entitled "Sweet Poison".

[2] The Guardian, England, July 20, 1990. The Guardian also published articles that prompted the NutraSweet Company in Deerborn, Illinois to file a lawsuit for libel, maintaining that "safety issues were resolved long ago". The Guardian cited documents submitted to a British government committee reviewing artificial sweeteners.

[5] Two former FDA scientists involved in the Searle investigations, Jacqueline Verrett, a former FDA toxicologist who reviewed data from three key studies, and Adrian Gross, who was part of a team of FDA investigators that spent three months at the Searle laboratories - say the irregularities they discovered were serious enough to invalidate some of the studies. In an interview, Verrett called the FDA’s final decision to approve aspartame "a giant cover-up." Food Magazine , Vol 1 No.9, April/June 1990. (England)

[6] Science Times , February 1985, described the studies as "scientifically lacking in design and execution."

[7] Burston-Marsteller.

[8] Formaldehyde is also a prime ingredient in vaccinations/immunizations given to humans.

[9] Extraordinary Science, Vol 7, No.1, Jan/Feb/Mar 1995, p.39.

[10] The Guardian, April/June 1990 "Laboratory Animals Back from the Dead in Faulty Safety Tests."

[11] Ibid.

[12] Study by Dr. John Olney, professor of neuropathology and psychiatry, Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Interestingly, Japan’s Ajinomoto Company, a maker of MSG, is a licensee of Searle Company. Note: (Nutra-Sweet + MSG = Brain damage in children = Behavior disorders = crime= perceived control necessity = totalitarian surveillance and control. Mind control is a reptilian paradigm.

[13] Dr. Robert published a report detailing 157 persons with aspartame-induced confusion and memory loss.

[14] The full investigation was known as the "Dressler Report". An example from the report: "Animal A23LM was alive at week 88, dead from week 92 through 104, alive at week 108 and dead at week 112." Lab animals were not permanently tagged to avoid identification mixups. Tumors were removed from animals which were returned "healthy" to the study. Animals were allowed to decompose before post mortem exams were conducted.

Included in these complaints are "hundreds of pilots who have reported life threatening adverse reactions due to aspartame," according to Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, in an article from General Aviation News. Michael Collins, former pilot, suffered from seizures whenever he drank diet soda. When he stopped using aspartame products, he remained seizure-free. Unfortunately, he lost his medical certification and can no longer fly (qtd. in Hicks 2).

While seizures are common among aspartame users, headaches are the most common complaint (Roberts 95). According to Caroline B. Kline, nutrition consultant, eighteen million Americans suffer from migraines. In her magazine article, "Migraine Makers," she suggests that diet could be one of the causes of these severe headaches. Aspartame was listed as possible culprit (207).

Americans are not the only people worried about the safety of aspartame. In 1988, the Mexican government issued a detailed warning to be put on diet sodas that contain aspartame (Bouleau 66). The label on these diet sodas reads:

This product should not be consumed by individuals who are allergic to phenylalanine. Consumption by pregnant women and children under 7 is not recommended. Users should follow a balanced diet. Consumption by diabetics must be authorized by a physician, (Bouleau 66).

If a product has to have this many warnings, how can it possibly be on the market?

The FDA has the answer. Thomas Wilcox, FDA spokesman, claims that "some people don't tolerate aspartame, but the reports to the FDA aren't sufficient to warrant a change in the product's classification. . . . Unless there is shown to be some very common serious effect . . . you don't want to deprive the entire population of the product" (qtd. in Bonvie and Bonvie G1). How serious do the side effects have to be and how many people have to be affected before this product is pulled off the market? When you start to add up the Phenylketonurics, the 10 million PKU carriers, migraine sufferers, diabetics, children, and pregnant women, who are all possible victims of aspartame poisoning, it seems significant enough to ban the use of aspartame. Don't these people who are at risk or have already suffered count? Depriving people of their health seems more serious than "depriving the entire population" of a sugar substitute.

What about the people who assume aspartame is safe? Is it fair to put these people at risk?

Even cigarettes and drugs have warnings on them to alert the public of possible side effects and dangers. Aspartame only has one warning for PKU. How can people make a wise choice if they aren't even warned of the dangers?

The warning label would have to be a very lengthy to properly warn all people. The only solution is to stop aspartame consumption by pulling it off the market. This would prevent people from unnecessary harm, especially those who are unaware of the dangers.

Even if you are aware of the dangers and are trying to avoid aspartame, you might have to spend more time reading labels. The familiar NutraSweet™ logo might not appear on all aspartame products. The patent on aspartame held by Searle expired in December of 1992, allowing other companies besides the NutraSweet™ Company to produce aspartame (Therrien 42). (NutraSweet™ Co. and G. D. Searle are divisions of the Monsanto Company). The only clue now on some products is "aspartame" listed in the ingredients and a phenylalanine warning.

If you're still not convinced by the tainted history of aspartame or its harmful ingredients and are using it to help control your weight, think again. Studies show that this may not be the case.

Helps Control Weight Gain

"I drank diet soda for the obvious reason -- to avoid sugar and to avoid weight gain" claims a businesswoman in a case reported to Dr. Roberts (qtd. In Roberts 147). It's not unusual for people who are dieting to reach for an aspartame product verses a product containing sugar. Aspartame is "200 times sweeter" than ordinary sugar so fewer calories are consumed (Deskins G1). With a weight conscious society, fewer calories can be attractive. However, a closer look shows that aspartame may not help control weight gain.

Outlined in the following list are some reasons why aspartame might not be effective in controlling weight:

1. According to an article in Technology Review, "aspartame may actually stimulate appetite and bring on a craving for carbohydrates" (Farber 52). 2. An article in Utne Reader claims, "researchers believe that any kind of sweet taste signals body cells to store carbohydrates and fats, which in turn causes the body to crave more food" (Lamb 16). 3. From the San Francisco Chronicle, Jean Weininger states that "studies have shown that people who use artificial sweeteners don't necessarily reduce their consumption of sugar -- or their total calorie intake. . . . Having a diet soda makes it okay to eat a double cheeseburger and a chocolate mousse pie" (1/ZZ1). 4. "The American Cancer Society (1986) documented the fact that persons using artificial sweeteners gain more weight than those who avoid them" (Roberts 150)

Whether you are trying to lose pounds or maintain your weight, using an artificial sweetener such as aspartame does not seem to have any significant effect on weight control. Those extra calories you saved by drinking a diet pop won't make much of a difference if you still need to satisfy your hunger and indulge in several cookies later. If it is actually increasing your appetite, why use it? Common sense tells you that proper diet and exercise are more beneficial. Even if you believe that aspartame may aid in dieting, is this worth risking your health?

FDA approval and natural ingredients may signal safety at first, but the mounting evidence against aspartame reveals many hidden dangers and possible risks. If you are experiencing any of the adverse reactions, stop using aspartame and see if the symptoms disappear. Now that you are aware of the problems with aspartame, inform others of the symptoms of aspartame poisoning. Notify the FDA of any adverse reactions that you may experience and encourage others to do the same. Don't just stop using aspartame, but make a difference by returning any aspartame products you may now have. If sales go down, hopefully aspartame will be pulled off the market and put an end to the aspartame dilemma.

ERNIE: Thanks for joining us tonight. We're glad you're with us. All across the state of Texas and parts beyond, it's good to have you here. Some important information and some information that will challenge, mystify and also make you want to maybe think about the things you eat and drink. Tonight I welcome Mary Stoddard to the microphone. Mary is here to talk about Aspartame. This is something that we've been hearing a little bit about in the media, but not a whole lot yet.

MARY: Yes, that's right. Based on the latest studies about connecting Aspartame with brain tumors and a higher incidence of brain tumors since the advent of Aspartame on the market, we have made the news quite a bit, all around the world, lately.

ERNIE: Now, when you talk about Aspartame, you're talking ... is this NutraSweet?

MARY: Aspartame is known as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonfuls, DiabetiSweet, etc. It's known by a number of names around the world: Canderel in Europe. It's NatraSweet, I believe, in Brazil, and other places around the world it's called different things, but if you look for Aspartame on the label, you should be able to find it and be okay.

ERNIE: This is a chemical substitute for sugar. We find this in diet drinks, and Sweet and Low type products, things that take sugar out of the diet and put Aspartame in.

MARY: Right, the only thing that doesn't have it would be Sweet & Low. However is is combined with saccharin in some products, such as TAB, for example, the diet soft drink.

ERNIE: Well, why is this something to worry about? What is Aspartame all about?

MARY: Because, first of all, the tests were falsified to get it approved and get it on the market in the first place. The tests were submitted ... the lab animals in those tests had seizures. They had brain tumors. They had pancreatic tumors. They had mammary tumors, and they had uterine tumors. But, all this was covered up and erased when the tests were submitted.

ERNIE: Why?

MARY: Because it wouldn't have been approved.

ERNIE: Right.

MARY: And, it was approved as a food additive, not a drug. It was discovered as a drug in the 60's by a scientist who licked his fingers, said it tasted sweet, so let's make it a sweetener instead of a drug for peptic ulcers. It was first approved in 1974, but the approval was rescinded because of the brain tumor issue. That issue remains a very valid one today.

ERNIE: I remember back when this first came out, that ... I'm speaking from a very vague memory here ... but, there was a lot of furor about it. That it causes cancer, etc., and people didn't use it very much for awhile.

MARY: Yes.

ERNIE: What ever became of that?

MARY: Well, what became of it is a major marketing campaign was put into effect. Billions of dollars were spent on PR and Marketing, and it's been very effective. I mean, they're very good at that. Not a great products, but they're good at marketing their product.

ERNIE: Why is Aspartame bad? What does it do? What are the qualities of it ... the compounds?

MARY: Okay. First of all, it's a synthetic compound. It's two amino acids: Phenylalanine 50% which lowers the seizure threshold in some individuals, and the head of Brain Science at MIT said that it causes seizures and can cause brain tumors. Aspartic Acid is 40% of the molecule and according to Dr. John Olney, the world expert on Aspartic Acid, who just held the News Conference in Washington, November the 18th, in connection with Aspartame and brain tumors, said that it caused lesions in the brains of lab animals. What's more, it changed the DNA ... which means that it will affect future generations. It skipped a generation and went on to the third generation in the lab animal experiments ... producing morbidly obese and sexually dysfunctional lab animals.

ERNIE: So, this is something that people ... I'm sure there are people out there who drink diet drinks every day trying to lose weight, who are listening to this thinking: Well, maybe one or two reactions -- I've heard this before. I drink 'em. I don't have any problems. Or, this is the first time they've heard this and there's: Wait a second, what is this? They wouldn't put something that's so deadly on the market.

MARY: Well, they actually would. We compare this to the cigarette issue because it's a very close parallel. How many cigarettes does it take to cause lung cancer or a stroke, or a heart attack? How many diet drinks do you have to consume to get a brain tumor? How many spoonfuls of Equal do you have to take to have a pancreatic tumor or liver damage? The answer is: We don't know exactly what amount because it does not show up in short term testing. It's the long term effect. I got into this in the first place because of children and the effect it is having on children. I saw the effects in my youngest, who began to have migraines when she started drinking this Kool Aid flavored drink (Crystal Light) that came in sample packets in the mail to us. She developed chest pains and heart attack-like symptoms ... which I took her to a Heart Specialist for. Finally, she was carried in from a school field trip, after having had a grand mal seizure.

ERNIE: Now, what's that?

MARY: That is the worst kind of seizure. You lose consciousness, you fall to the ground in a fetal position and you're just out of it. That is the worst kind of seizure. There are many kinds of seizures that people can experience from Aspartame and from other causes as well, but the grand mal is the top of the line as far as danger goes. And so, when I discovered the one thing she was having was causing all these problems twelve years ago, I got her off of it and she's been just fine. Very healthy and seizure-free and no problem with that in the interim.

ERNIE: How did you know to trace it back to those things?

MARY: Well, it tasted funny to me. I was used to saccharin. I used the artificial sweetener, saccharin which has been around for a hundred years and no deaths reported ... only six complaints about saccharin had been reported to the FDA as of a couple of years ago, versus thousands and tens of thousands of complaints reported to the FDA about Aspartame. In fact, it's the most complained about additive in history. Aspartame has the most complaints on record. And, yet, the FDA refuses to do anything. I work with pilots. I have established a pilot's hotline in regard to this because an F-16 pilot asked me to do so when we were both in Washington testifying at the Senate Hearings. Working with pilots is an amazing thing. They lose their jobs. They lose, in some cases: their marriages, their homes, their families ... everything. And, in some cases ... their lives. I just finished filming a 60 Minutes segment for Australian TV for their 60 Minutes show. In it I had a pilot who was interviewed because he had a grand mal seizure in the cockpit in flight on a commuter airline in Alaska. This made national headlines about three years ago. Since he stopped using the artificially sweetened, ah, I think he was using Equal in his coffee and some drinks as well, he's been seizure-free. And, so he's been interviewed by the TV crew because it's such an astonishing story. Dozens of pilots have lost their medical certification to fly and one FAA Medical Examiner said, 'The FDA has its foot caught in a bucket, and it can't get it out.' And, so they don't know what to do. So, we're going to try to help them.

ERNIE: Well, now ... some statistical information on this: You have millions of people drinking these every day, but you're not getting reports of these types of things.

MARY: Well, you're just not getting reports of these types of things because, as I said to the doctors three weeks ago, when I was the first non-MD to lecture at Southwest Medical School in their Continuing Medical Education Series: You are going to find that these things mimic other syndromes such as MS (which is very difficult to diagnose); Fibromyalgia, which was never heard of before the advent of Aspartame and has become epidemic; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ... when I called the Chronic Fatigue Hotline in 1987, they said to me Chronic Fatigue symptoms can be changed by changing your diet. I said, well, what does that mean? They said, do this, this and this .. and eliminate artificial sweeteners. Then, I said: Oh, you mean saccharin and Aspartame? They said: No, saccharin's okay. So, they knew back then that it caused Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. We also have more cases of brain tumors (10% more); Lupus; Manic Depression: Lou Gehrig's Disease; Attention Deficit Disorder in children, which Aspartame is capable of causing (hyperactivity in kids). A University of North Texas Professor came down with Graves Disease. She was checked into the hospital. Her doctor said: We must now irradiate your thyroid, young lady. And, she said, No, I don't think so. She checked herself out and went to a Nutritionist. He took her off Aspartame, put her on a healthy diet and she cured her Graves Disease.

ERNIE: I've heard this before. I have two friends who are Nutritionists. They have both told me the same thing about the diet drinks. They said: Don't drink them, because when they get hot, for example, the compounds that they break down into ... could you give us a little detail on that?

MARY: Right. They're (Phenylalanine and Aspartic Acid) are held in chemical bond by Methanol. Aspartame's 10% Methanol by weight. But, Methanol breaks down further into Formic Acid (the venom in ant stings), Formaldehyde (embalming fluid) and Diketopiperazine, the brain tumor agent ... the thing that kept it off the market, remember, back in 1974, when it was first approved by the FDA. The DKP kept it off the market because it causes brain tumors and the National Soft Drink Association complained bitterly about having to put Aspartame in soft drinks. They didn't want it. They didn't want the brain tumor issue associated with their product. And, you know it's a funny thing ... Monsanto is the parent company now of NutraSweet and Aspartame. Just a couple of weeks ago, they split their company in half. They split the Food part, which is the part that produces Aspartame, away from the Agricultural and other products part. And, when people say: Why did they do that? One reason, I think is because there are going to be lawsuits. I can't stop people from bringing suit against the company. I don't encourage it ever. But, I can't stop it on the other hand, and they know this is coming. They've hired big law firms. But, they falsified their tests to begin with.

ERNIE: Is that provable?

MARY: Yes. A U.S. Prosecutor ... and, this is all in our book, "Deadly Deception" ... there's a timeline and a history of Aspartame and the approval process, showing that Samuel Skinner, the U.S. Prosecutor, recused himself at the last minute. He was prosecuting the Pharmaceutical Company (G.D. Searle) for illegal acts. For falsifying their test results and turning in the tests tumor-free. And, not showing that some of the lab animals actually died and on paper, they were shown to be alive. We call it the Case of the Resurrected Rats. You know, these things really occurred, and they are criminal acts. And, so, they were being prosecuted and at the last minute, Samuel Skinner, the U.S. Prosecutor, went over to the Pharmaceutical Law Firm side and went to work for them (Sidley & Austin). He ended up in the White House as Bush's Chief of Staff, Samuel Skinner. His wife continued to work for Sidley & Austin, the NutraSweet law firm, while her husband, Skinner was in the White House. A former Monsanto attorney is now on the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Clarence Thomas is a former Monsanto attorney. So, they have their Gate Keepers. They have people in high places. The company hired Donald Rumsfeld as its President. Now, Donald Rumsfeld was Chief of Defense in the Ford Administration, and has been very high up in many offices in many administrations. Now, why was he hired as head of a pharmaceutical company? It was political. This was gotten on the market by political and PR means, and has nothing to do with Science.

ERNIE: We're talking to Mary Stoddard tonight about Aspartame and I have to say that I have the information in front of me and I can't vouch for its accuracy or inaccuracy. I'm merely presenting a point of view, and if you want to present another side, I want you to do that. Or, if you agree or you have had incidents that you think are related to Aspartame, I'd like you to join the program. We have lines open for you on Texas U.S.A. Take the time, join us at 800-765-1080 tonight. This hour it's about your health. Let's go ahead and take some calls. First up in Glen Heights Texas on a car phone: Barbara. What's on your mind?

BARBARA: I'd like to know what other food should I look for with Aspartame, other than the cold drinks and the sweeteners?

MARY: Yes, that's a very good question, because it is in things that you wouldn't even believe. We were in Washington doing the taping recently and they said: Mary, go through the super market and fill a basket full of Aspartame sweetened products. Then, they said: Oh, wait a second, you'd better grab some other stuff too 'cause you won't fill a basket. I said: I'll bet I can. I came up with things like bottled water with Aspartame in it. There are flavored bottled waters that have Aspartame. I came up with, of course, children's vitamins, children's kool aid and Crystal Light, and fruit flavored drinks, juice drinks ... I had Alka Seltzer Plus, a lot of the Tylenol medications have it, Fiber One cereal and a lot of the fiber cereals have it. In fact, a lot of people call me. You know, we have a consumer hotline for the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, and they'll say: Mary, I got off those diet drinks and I'm still feeling really lousy. Those headaches just won't go away. And, I say: What are you eating and drinking?Well, I cut out diet soft drinks with Aspartame, and I'm drinking TAB now with saccharine. I said, Go to the label. It has Aspartame, too. You just have to read labels, Barbara. Very, very carefully. It's in things you would never imagine ... like cold remedies, you know, Alka Seltzer Plus, and things like that. I think it's even in some lipsticks as well.

ERNIE: Anything, I guess, with a sweet flavor to it?

MARY: Yes, it can be. It's even in things for infants. Oh, it's even in Metamucil. A Pediatrician the other day prescribed Metamucil for an infant that had a little constipation. He said: Be sure to get the orange kind, because it tastes sweet. It's flavored. And, of course, it had Aspartame in it.

ERNIE: Yeah, it's odd with you think of where Aspartame is that we worry so much about four calories, five calories, ten calories, you find Aspartame in a Rolaids or a Tums type of product. You think ... for goodness sakes, are you counting every little bitty calorie? That makes no sense that you have to put dietary things in something that has four or five calories.

MARY: That's right. You know, what's happened is that we've become paranoid about a little bit of sugar or sucrose, and we've run right into the waiting jaws of the artificial stuff. We've done the same thing with the fat. It's laudable to get the fat foods out of your diet, but watch out when they talk about Simpless and that other fake fat, Olestra.

ERNIE: Olestra. What a nightmare!

MARY: Oh, it's just scary. People had rather die than eat sugar or fat. And, in some cases, that's the lesser of the two evils ... the real thing.

ERNIE: Ruth in Midland. Welcome to Texas U.S.A. for Mary Stoddard.

RUTH: My sister has been using Aspartame for quite some time now. She has developed some behaviors that are not characteristic of her. She's very irritable. She'll bite your head off. She's depressed. She developed real bad heart trouble, I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not.

MARY: It could. A lot of the pilots tell us that they stay away from diet drinks because it spikes the EKG. But, the psychological effects are probably the most insidious of all. It causes suicidal depression. That's a given. Anybody knows that Methanol (wood alcohol) can cause depression. It's a depressant. But, it also affects the brain in some very strange ways. It depletes or blocks production of Serotonin, which is the thing we all need for our moods to be level. The thing we need for our sleep patterns to be normal. And, in women, it regulates the menstrual cycle. Well, when Serotonin is blocked, then people can go into rages. Out of control. If these people were on steroids - anabolic steroids - you know people would say: Oh, yeah, that's a side effect of that. Well, they don't realize Aspartame can have similar effects. In fact, I knew a young man who wrote a book called, I Plead Insanity. He actually did plead insanity. He shot at three squad cars full of officers because he was hallucinating. He was heavily into the diet drinks. He drank a lot of them to get to that point, but he was literally committed to a mental institution because of his heavy consumption, and his predisposition to that sort of thing, but I think he never would have been driven over the edge into it (committing criminal acts) if something ain't messed with his brain. Serotonin is very interesting. Three Marines were released from the Marine Corps because they were said to be too aggressive. Now, how aggressive do you have to be to be kicked out of the Marine Corps! I thought the Marines were supposed to be. But, they tested these guys. They had low levels of Serotonin. I'm telling you. Serotonin is very important. When you deplete or block that production, you're looking for all kinds of bizarre - and, I do mean bizarre - psychological effects.

ERNIE: Is Serotonin something you buy artificially? I was just wondering if Serotonin is one of those new miracle things you can buy at the Health Food Stores.

MARY: No, Melatonin is somewhat akin to Serotonin, but Prozac, for example, is a stimulant of Serotonin. Now, why do all these people need to be on Prozac? It's because they have a blockage of Serotonin levels. And, so a lot of the things that we're doing today and tests that are being conducted on people medically are not even necessary. What I asked that group of doctors that I lectured to recently, is to think of this and use this in your history-taking. Ask about Aspartame consumption. It may be that this patient doesn't need an MRI or CAT SCAN or PET SCAN.

ERNIE: Right.

MARY: Get the patient off Aspartame (because it clouds the diagnosis) for a period of four to six weeks and then start to test. There may literally be something wrong. But, you'll never know as long as Aspartame is a part of the picture, because physiologically and psychologically, it's gonna mess you up sooner or later.

MARY: I think you should change OB/GYNs. When I went to mine - it's interesting - I had a life threatening blood disorder develop in 1985 when I started going to Weight Watchers and using heavily, using diet drinks and the Weight Watcher's products. I went to my OB/GYN for a couple of things I couldn't figure out and he said ... Well, I said, could it be the NutraSweet and the new diet drinks and the things I'm eating and drinking? He said: Oh, no. What else do you eat and drink? I said: Well, this, this and this and cheese. He then went into a rampage over cheese. It was pure fat and women were killing themselves eating cheese. He just totally dismissed the thing that was really killing me literally. And, that's the Aspartame. So, he didn't know. I don't really blame him because he didn't know. My doctor of fifteen years didn't know. (My General Practitioner.) I still go to him. I think he's a great doctor. He tried. He even went to the Medical School and brought back one study and said: Mary, it looks like you have to drink gallons of this stuff (Aspartame) to have a seizure even. And, you've never even had a seizure. It's just the muscle spasms and joint pain and muscle cramps that I was having and other things associated with it. But, it was very severe and major. Finally, I went to the Medical School and a by-product of my spending hours, and days, and weeks, and years in the the Medical School Library book stacks is our 200 page report, Deadly Deception - The Story of Aspartame.

CALLER M.: I drink diet drinks. I'd like to know if there are any that do not have Aspartame. And, what about Frosted Shredded Wheat, too?

MARY: Frosted Shredded Wheat as far as I know does not have it. The fiber cereals: Fiber One and maybe some other new ones, Sun Flakes has it and Sun Flakes is a little bit hard to find. But, about diet soft drinks: What you need to do if you are really serious about your quality of life (and, I think this is a quantity of life issue as well as quality of life) but, let's say it's just the quality of life issue. If you're serious about it, I would like to see you get off these things for four to six weeks and instead of diet soft drinks, if you've got to have something fizzy, get yourself some Club Soda and put a little bit of fruit juice in it. Try the bottled water.

ERNIE: Not diet fruit juice!

MARY: Oh, no, no, no, no, no. The real. Listen, I'm for real food. I'm for whole food, not unnatural. Not artificial things. And so, squeeze an orange in a glass of Club Soda or something and have that if you want a fizzy drink. I know you can't buy it in a soft drink machine, but they do have iced teas and juices and things that you can buy that would be a lot healthier than the soft drinks. And you know, I was telling Ernie during the break, I don't drink diet or regular soft drinks on a daily basis. And, when I do have one ... it's the real thing. And, I know it's a real treat. It just explodes in your mouth and the flavor is just wonderful. When people mindlessly drink six, eight, twelve drinks a day, whether they are diet or regular, they do it without even thinking and they're wasting all treat money. They are doing something that's not good for them. Not nutritious. And, I think that if we treated ourselves more and have them less often that would be something that would change our lives and we'd save so much money.

ERNIE: Let's go to Carrollton. Jay, welcome to Texas U.S.A. for Mary.

JAY: Hi Ernie. My daughter, Katrina, when we were living in Indianapolis, she was three years old and we had been giving her Flintstones vitamins and some other products that had NutraSweet in them, and we found her comatose and not breathing in bed one morning. And, so we got her to the hospital and about two hours later, they didn't know whether she was going to make it or not, because they didn't know what was wrong with her. After about three months of hospitalization, they never could really tell us what was wrong with her. Even after a battery of different types tests. For the longest time, we couldn't figure it out. She is semi-retarded because of it and since then, right after she got out of the hospital, my wife ... not knowing what the problem was, started to give her Flintstone vitamins again, thinking we were doing the right thing. She started having some of the same symptoms that she had had before she got ill. We immediately took a look at the bottle, and there was Aspartame in it. So, my wife called the company to find out more about it, and they said: Oh, no, don't worry about it. It's safe. You can feed it to them all day long. What we found out later, it was the Aspartame, and that my daughter was poisoned. My point is: if you're feeding your children anything with Aspartame in it, get them off of it ... because you're killing them. I mean literally, you're killing your children and taking away a chance to live a healthy life.

MARY: You're destroying their brains ... neurologically. That is such a powerful story. Just imagine being a parent in a case like that. Knowing now what caused it and having people not believe you when you say, Aspartame caused my child's problems.

ERNIE: Tell me the connection between Gulf War Syndrome that's getting a lot of attention these days.

MARY: Well, Aspartame breaks down into these neurotoxins. That means nerve poisons. Breakdown products of Aspartame.

ERNIE: Is there a certain amount of heat?

MARY: Anything above 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, think about it. Thousands of cases of diet drinks, according to Business Week and Mother Jones magazine, and a lot of other publications, were shipped free of charge - it was a PR campaign for the manufacturers ... to the desert. In 85 degrees heat it begins to break down into Methanol, Formic Acid, Formaldehyde, Diketopiperazine, the brain tumor agent. So, that after a number of days or weeks, there's no Aspartame left. I want to ask your listeners ... have you ever had a diet soft drink that didn't taste sweet? What you were drinking was the breakdown products. You weren't even drinking the sweetener. There was no Aspartame left. It was broken down, and I laughingly tell people - I had Gulf War Syndrome in 1985. I had all the symptoms: depression, chronic fatigue, skin lesions. All kinds of bizarre things were happening. Getting off of it got me well. But, I just wonder how many of our Military have been affected by this and we're covering that up as well. I do believe it is a factor. It may not be the only factor and cause -- because they did have some pretty exotic shots and vaccinations and stuff, too. But, I believe it's being covered up. I think that is the cause of a lot of their problems and the cause of the wives' problems. In our book, Deadly Deception, we have a whole section on children and one of the things is that it causes birth defects and we've got research studies that it caused birth defects in the lab animals. I have a newsletter from the Association of Birth Defect Children, the organization of note in birth defect studies, showing that it causes birth defects in children. It causes all kinds of things to happen. I believe it could be implicated in Gulf War Syndrome. I wish they would take a serious look at it. I sent it (the info) to Ross Perot, we faxed the Pentagon, the White House and to date no one has taken a real serious look at that.

ERNIE: Jackie in Grand Prairie, you are on Texas U.S.A. with Mary

JACKIE: Hi Mary. I just caught the tail end of your show here and I have a question. How much Aspartame consumed by a person affects them? Is it immediately if you had a diet drink?

MARY: Not everyone is affected immediately. It took me a period of months before I started. Mine started with a knee joint problem and progressed into severe muscle and joint pain ... like Fibromyalgia. Mine was medically diagnosed as Eosinophiliamyalgia Syndrome - which is a life threatening blood disorder. But, some children can chew one stick of chewing gum, Jackie, and go into seizure. That's been medically documented. Others can go for years and seemingly be alright just as smokers can go for years and not come down with lung cancer.

JACKE: So, it can affect people differently?

MARY: Oh, absolutely. And, it even affects the same person differently each time it's used, because if you think about how the breakdown products react, these products can be broken down to a different degree each time you have it. That's because they're not kept a a constant temperature. You might store them in your trunk or your garage, or they're in a warehouse. They're not always fresh and perfectly kept in storage.

JACKIE: That was my concern. I drank diet soft drinks for a number of years. Not on a daily basis, but maybe on a weekly basis, and I do have a hypothyroid condition. I was wondering if it had any effect on that?

MARY:It does affect the thyroid. It affects the thyroid, pituitary, the hypothalamus and the pineal gland.

ERNIE: Now, let's go to Betty in Fort Worth.

BETTY: My husband and I are both diabetics in our early sixties. I've always been very careful about the diabetic cooking and everything. I've used the NutraSweet and the Sugar Twin. Is there any sugar substitute that is safe?

MARY: Saccharin is one that we don't have a problem with. Other sweeteners, such as honey, 100% pure maple syrup, Turbinado Sugar, not the refined, but the unrefined sugars are not going to harm you. I'll bet diabetics can do their own finger stick test. When your blood sugar levels are well within normal range, test your levels and then drink two or three diet sodas one right after the other, preferably room temperature. Then, test yourself an hour later. I guarantee your blood sugar levels are going to be out of control. Off the charts. This (Aspartame) is not allowing diabetics to keep their blood sugar levels within control.

BETTY: Now, you mentioned honey and what kind of sugar?

MARY: Turbinado Sugar, which is the unrefined sugar. You can buy it in the Health Food Stores. You can buy Stevia, which is an herbal sweetener. A lot of people like that. It's very beneficial and it is approved now by the FDA for general use. So, there are a lot of other sweeteners. I'd use just about anything, before I'd use Aspartame.

ERNIE: Let's see if we can take one more call. Steve in Euless, you're on Texas U.S.A.

STEVE: Thanks. Mary, could you give that number again?

MARY: Yes. 1-800-969-6050. If you want that report, it's the Deadly Deception and our free information is on our web site. Just look up Mary Stoddard on the internet, or go to and you'll see we've got wonderful stuff on brain tumors and flying and Aspartame and the pilot issue. If you are a pilot, that's a must.

STEVE: I used to drink a ton of that stuff, and she slowly weaned me off of it.

MARY: Oh, good for her. She may have saved your life. Anyway, you're a lucky guy, and I'm glad she did that. You know more of us need to tell other people.

ERNIE: Thank you. When I told people about what I had learned from my nutritionist friends about it, they just, with a wave of their hand, they dismissed me. You don't know what you're talking about. It doesn't bother me. I feel fine, etc., etc.,etc.

MARY: Same thing you hear from smokers. I'm not going to get lung cancer. It's denial. I want people to get the report. It's not what I said. I haven't written it. I have edited and compiled it. It's from peer-reviewed Medical and Science Journals for a $25 donation. They can call right now and leave their names and phone numbers and they will be called back tomorrow during office hours. It's 1-800-969-6050. Call it today.

ERNIE: Al right, thank you. Mary Stoddard is her name. Mary, we'll have you back when we have more time to spend with you about this. There are a lot of issues we didn't get a chance to cover. It's good to see you, though.

"I drank diet soda for the obvious reason -- to avoid sugar and to avoid weight gain" claims a businesswoman in a case reported to Dr. Roberts (qtd. In Roberts 147). It's not unusual for people who are dieting to reach for an aspartame product verses a product containing sugar. Aspartame is "200 times sweeter" than ordinary sugar so fewer calories are consumed (Deskins G1). With a weight conscious society, fewer calories can be attractive. However, a closer look shows that aspartame may not help control weight gain.

Outlined in the following list are some reasons why aspartame might not be effective in controlling weight:

1. According to an article in Technology Review, "aspartame may actually stimulate appetite and bring on a craving for carbohydrates" (Farber 52). 2. An article in Utne Reader claims, "researchers believe that any kind of sweet taste signals body cells to store carbohydrates and fats, which in turn causes the body to crave more food" (Lamb 16). 3. From the San Francisco Chronicle, Jean Weininger states that "studies have shown that people who use artificial sweeteners don't necessarily reduce their consumption of sugar -- or their total calorie intake. . . . Having a diet soda makes it okay to eat a double cheeseburger and a chocolate mousse pie" (1/ZZ1). 4. "The American Cancer Society (1986) documented the fact that persons using artificial sweeteners gain more weight than those who avoid them" (Roberts 150)

Whether you are trying to lose pounds or maintain your weight, using an artificial sweetener such as aspartame does not seem to have any significant effect on weight control. Those extra calories you saved by drinking a diet pop won't make much of a difference if you still need to satisfy your hunger and indulge in several cookies later. If it is actually increasing your appetite, why use it? Common sense tells you that proper diet and exercise are more beneficial. Even if you believe that aspartame may aid in dieting, is this worth risking your health?

FDA approval and natural ingredients may signal safety at first, but the mounting evidence against aspartame reveals many hidden dangers and possible risks. If you are experiencing any of the adverse reactions, stop using aspartame and see if the symptoms disappear. Now that you are aware of the problems with aspartame, inform others of the symptoms of aspartame poisoning. Notify the FDA of any adverse reactions that you may experience and encourage others to do the same. Don't just stop using aspartame, but make a difference by returning any aspartame products you may now have. If sales go down, hopefully aspartame will be pulled off the market and put an end to the aspartame dilemma.

Fraudulent Claims of Aspartame as a "Diet Aid"

Interestingly, even the American Cancer Society confirmed that users of artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who didn’t use the products, further undermining the supposed "purpose" for the existence of aspartame in the food.[16] Haven’t we heard this kind of criminal fraud before?

The major selling point of aspartame is as a diet aid, and it has been demonstrated that the use of this product actually causes people to consume more food. Normally, when a significant quantity of carbohydrate are consumed, serotonin levels rise in the brain. This is manifested as a relaxed feeling after a meal. When aspartame is ingested with carbohydrates, such as having a sandwich with a diet drink, aspartame causes the brain to cease production of serotonin, meaning that the feeling of having had enough never materializes. You then eat more foods, many containing aspartame, and the cycle continues. Monsanto’s profit from its NutraSweet Division was $993 million in 1990.